Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Northeast Alabama Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rainbow City, Alabama 35906
Friday, January 20, 2012 18:18 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot radioed an air traffic controller and obtained an instrument flight rules clearance while on the ground. The pilot read back the clearance and was informed that he was released for departure and to switch to advisory frequency. There was no further radio contact between air traffic controllers and the pilot, and the airplane was never radar identified. The base of the radar coverage at the airport is 4,000 feet. Another pilot, who was on the ground at the airport waiting to depart, informed the controller that he watched the flight depart and heard a pretty loud boom shortly afterward. A postcrash fire ensued. The ceiling was 300 feet overcast, with visibility 1 mile in mist. The main wreckage was located about 1.1 miles south-southwest of the airport in a swampy wooded area. Postcrash examination revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An in-flight loss of control in instrument meteorological conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/20/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1818 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Rainbow City |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35906 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335708N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0860605W |
| Event Location Airport | Northeast Alabama Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GAD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 569 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1815 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 70 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GAD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 569 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31181 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 23 2013 11:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | coln |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N16RZ |
| NTSB Number | ERA12FA149 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AERO VODOCHODY |
| Aircraft Model | L39C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 132013 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11618 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 19 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 898 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FIGHTER TOWN USA LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | GREENSBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27405-9657 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Thomas L. Coble |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Burlington |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 27215 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GAD |
| Departure City | Gadsden |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1817 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BUY |
| Destination City | Burlington |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2013 5:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | gots |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |